


Worlds Apart

by WurtzKitten3515



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29362674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WurtzKitten3515/pseuds/WurtzKitten3515
Summary: Thirteen dwarves, a hobbit, a wizard, and a girl from another universe travel across Middle Earth to reclaim the mountain of Erebor. Can the girl, blessed by the Valar, keep everyone in the company safe or will she die trying?
Relationships: Thorin Oakenshield/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 8





	1. Falling

**Author's Note:**

> Fiadh (Fee-ya) - Wild  
> O'Connell (Oh-Con-nell) - Valorous in battle  
> Shaini - the bamboo sword used in kendo

_Every now and again through the night they could hear the roar of the flying dragon grow and then pass and fade, as he hunted round and round the mountain-sides. He guessed from the ponies, and from the traces of the camps he had discovered, that_  
 _men had come up from the river and the lake and had scaled the mountain-side from the valley where the ponies had been standing; but the door withstood his searching eye, and the little high-walled bay had kept out his fiercest flames. Long he had hunted in_  
 _vain till the dawn chilled his wrath and he went back to his golden couch to sleep - and to gather new strength._  
A chime as someone walks through the door draws Fiadh from the book held in front of her and, thus, from the world her head had been occupied by. Pushing her curly copper tresses from her face and looking around, she sees an older man with grey hair wandering around the isles of her bookshop, seemingly looking for something specific. Marking the page of her book, she sets it down and walks around the counter, smiling politely at the man.  
“Hello. May I help you find anything in particular,” she questions.  
The man looks over at her and smiles kindly, nodding a bit.  
“Ah, yes, thank you young lady. I was just looking for a good read,” he answers.  
“Well you certainly came to the right place! What genre do you prefer,” she asks.  
“Something with adventure and magic. Maybe even something with dragons in it. I quite enjoy fantasy,” he explains.  
The first book that comes to mind is the one she had just set down, it being one of her favorite books. Leading the man to another aisle, she gets on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf due to her very short height and pulls down a small but slightly thick book.  
“Have you ever read The Hobbit before? It’s one of my favorites, and has everything you’re looking for,” she announces.  
Handing the book to the man, he looks at it almost proudly and with slight amusement in his eyes.  
“Yes, I love this story as well. I’ve been meaning to read it again,” he states.  
“I can help you find something else as well, or I can go check you out at the front if you’d like,” says Fiadh.  
“I’d like to start with just this one, thank you,” responds the man.  
She leads him back up to the front and steps behind the counter, moving her copy of the book out of the way. He gives the book a glance and smiles in response.  
“I see you’re reading it again as well,” he chuckles.  
“I can’t even remember how many times I’ve read this book. I could probably recite it word for word if I had to,” she laughs.  
“May I ask your opinion on the end? It’s heavily debated amongst readers, and I find the different outlooks intriguing,” he asks.  
Bagging his copy of the book, she leans against the counter a bit as she comes up with her response. The end certainly could be debated, in fact she’s debated it a time or two herself.  
“I think it could have ended better. The conclusion of the Arkenstone left quite a bit to be desired, not telling the reader why it was only the line of Durin that was affected and why the dwarves, who value jewels, would have gotten rid of such a valuable one if they were unaffected by it. There’s also the situation with Dain becoming king, which I believe is not a very wise idea. He didn’t have the countenance of the king of Erebor, his temper was far too unstable. Then comes the issue of how convenient it was to have all three of the remaining Durin line die off in the same battle while none of the rest of the company did. I’ve had quite a few issues with the end,” she rambles.  
The man smiles widely and nods, seeming to agree with her.  
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I got your name,” he says.  
“Oh, my name is Fiadh O’Carroll,” she replies.  
“That’s a very interesting name. Certainly not American; Irish, if I had to guess. What’s its meaning, if I may,” he asks.  
“Fiadh essentially means ‘wild.’ O’Carroll means ‘valorous in battle,’ which is what prompted me to start martial arts when I was younger.”  
“My name is Ian, quite simple. Do you still practice martial arts?”  
“I try to get to the dojo at least once a week, keep my shape in check and make sure the muscle memory is still there. I was actually planning on going tonight”  
“Do you have any practice with weapons?”  
“I know archery, and kendo, so I’m able to work my way around a sword.”  
“You’re quite an interesting young lady, Ms. O’Carroll. Thank you again for the book, and I hope you have a wonderful day.”  
As the man walks out, Fiadh chuckles to herself. Such an odd man, but he was still very sweet. Her shift passes uneventfully and she soon locks up the shop, grabbing her duffle bag and heading to her dojo. Taking her shoes off and pulling her thick hair into a ponytail, she steps onto the mats and begins running drills. Swinging her shinai in elegant arcs, something soon catches her eye. A green glow comes from the locker room, causing her to stop her practice as she approaches the area curiously. While walking past, she picks up her duffle bag in case she has to make a run for it. Gripping her shinai, she enters the room to find a glowing crack along one of the walls. She slowly walks toward the odd phenomenon and reaches out a hand to touch it. An electric pulse shoots up her arm and she suddenly feels like she’s falling.  
“ _You touched an energy that is raw and powerful, an energy you were not meant to feel. No human has been able to contain its power. I truly hope the wizard has chosen wisely with you_ ,” comes a voice in Fiadh’s mind.  
The voice sounds male and female, old and young, booming and quiet. Fiadh can’t seem to process it, barely able to understand the words it had spoken to her, before she feels her body collide with the ground.  
She lies there for a moment, head spinning, until she’s finally able to sit up and look around. Trees surround her and she realizes she’s laying on dirt and grass. Her hand hits something and she looks over to find her duffle bag and shinai on the ground next to her, which she quickly snatches up and grips tightly. As her fear grows, she sees a green glow emanating from her hands, the same green glow she had seen in the dojo.  
The sound of growling from behind her causes her to freeze, slowly turning to see a wolf-like creature snarling at her. It stands nearly the size of a small horse, almost eye level with Fiadh. It suddenly lunges at her and she screams, crouching into a ball on the ground and covering her head. The animal yelps loudly as a flash of green flies from her curled form, sending the creature flying into a nearby tree. Fiadh looks at her hands in shock as the creature begins to get back up before snapping from her thoughts, sprinting through the trees as quickly as possible. She can hear the animal beginning to run after her as she pushes her legs to go faster, feeling branches and thorns whipping against her skin.  
A yelp from behind her causes her to falter, and she turns to see the creature fall with an arrow embedded in its head. A tall man with dark hair lands in front of her from the treetops and she jumps back, raising her shinai in a hopeful grab for defense. The man raises his hands up in surrender and walks toward her slowly as though she were a startled animal.  
“I don’t want to hurt you, my lady. I’m here to get you somewhere safe. My Lord Elrond would be more than willing to help you with whatever you may need,” he soothes.  
Fiadh straightens up slightly, narrowing her eyes at the man when the name comes from his mouth. Looking more closely, she sees his ears are pointed and the clothing and weapons on him are reminiscent of the Lord of The Rings movies.  
“Very funny. Now where am I actually at,” she asks.  
“My apologies, you are near Rivendell. Allow me to lead you to the city,” he answers.  
“I’m not kidding. Whatever roleplaying you’re doing, I’m not involved. I just want to know where I am and how I got here,” she snaps.  
“My lady, I’m not sure what you’re saying, but I can assure you that I can take you somewhere safe,” empolores the man.  
Almost growling in frustration, she throws her arms down by her sides and sighs loudly. She readjusts her duffle bag on her shoulder and motions for the man to lead. Following behind him, he quickly leads her from the forest and into a clearing, revealing an exact replica of Rivendell. Fiadh’s eyes widen and she stops in her tracks, staring at the buildings in disbelief.  
“This is impossible,” she whispers.  
Still in a state of shock, she quietly follows the man- no, elf?- as he leads her through the beautiful city. The longer she looks, the more real everything seems to feel. But how was that possible? Middle Earth is fake, a fictional world in a fictional book. The elf leading her finally stops in front of a door and knocks. Hearing a response Fiadh’s ears couldn’t pick up on, he opens the door and ushers her into the room. Standing in front of her is Lord Elrond, looking very similar to his movie adaptation, causing Fiadh’s steps to falter.  
“My Lord Elrond, I found this woman in the forest being chased by a warg. She seems very disoriented,” reports the elf.  
“Thank you. I will take it from here,” instructs Elrond.  
The elf bows respectfully and walks out, leaving Fiadh and Elrond alone. He looks over at her with a curious look in his eyes while she simply gawks at him. She had to have hit her head somehow. That’s the only possible explanation for something like this.  
“I see Gandalf’s spell worked, though you seem confused. Welcome to Middle Earth,” states Elrond.  
“What are you talking about? I was just in my dojo practicing my drills and suddenly I’m falling through this green light and being chased by wargs-” rants Fiadh.  
“Green light? That was not a part of the plan that I’m familiar with,” interrupts Elrond.  
Fiadh explains everything to him in detail, interrupting herself a few times to ensure he knows how _absolutely insane_ this whole thing is. As she goes on, his face grows more serious and she can feel herself beginning to panic again. If this is Middle Earth, and that is Lord Elrond, the fact that he seems so concerned doesn’t bode very well for her at all.  
“I see. It seems to me that you spoke with the Valar, the fifteen most powerful Ainur. When Arda began, the Valar gave light to us through two immense lamps. Melkor, also known as Morgoth-” starts Elrond.  
“Yes, Melkor destroyed the lamps and brought darkness to the world. The Valar created the Two Trees to give the world light and imprisoned Melkor. But when he was released, he poisoned the Two Trees, so the Valar took the last two living fruits from them and used them to create the moon and the sun. I remember reading about it, but how does any of that have to do with me being here,” interrupts Fiadh.  
“That is mostly true, however, there was a third fruit that very few know about. It was hidden, the Valar hoping to keep it secret from Morgoth. It is a very volatile energy none have been able to control. If the Valar trusted you with the knowledge, we can only hope that you are the one to wield this energy,” explains Elrond.  
“How am I supposed to control this,” she demands, holding up her glowing hands.  
Elrond’s eyes widen slightly and he steps forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths, hoping to regain her composure. Once the panic and anger begins to subside, she opens them again and sees that the energy has dissipated.  
“It seems that the energy you absorbed is linked to your emotional responses. The stronger your emotions, the stronger it grows. You’re experiencing overwhelming fear, confusion, and anger at the moment, which is completely understandable. However, you need to control these emotions, otherwise you will lose control of your newfound abilities,” instructs Elrond.  
“What does this even do? What am I supposed to use it for? The Valar gave me no explanations, no instructions. I’m in a world where I shouldn’t even exist, wielding an ability that I know nothing about, for a reason that I don’t know,” she worries.  
Suddenly, a glass that had been sitting on Elrond’s desk explodes and both of them flinch away from the mess. Fiadh’s eyes widen and she looks down at her hands, cradling them to her chest.  
“Did I do that,” she whispers.  
“My dear, I understand that you are full of uncertainties at the moment. I give you my word that I will do everything within my power to assist you in understanding these questions you have,” soothes Elrond.  
True to his word, he begins meeting with her every day, teaching her how to control her emotions and, thus, her abilities. He explains how Gandalf had brought her here to help change the course of the future, to help the dwarves and those around them as best she can. She takes lessons from Elladan and Elrohir, Elrond’s sons, on how to improve her fighting skills and how to incorporate her abilities into it, along with horseback riding lessons. As more time passes, her endurance grows and her energy drains less when she wields her growing power. She even meets with a tutor who teaches her elvish and finds that she somehow gained the ability to speak Valarin, the language of the Ainur.  
She begins feeling more at home in this world, finding friends in the brothers, Lindir, Arwen, and even Elrond. Some of the guards take her out on their patrols, allowing her the opportunity to practice her fighting and weapons training in a real situation. Months after her initial landing in Middle Earth, she recognizes that the dwarves will soon be arriving in the Shire. She gets approval from Elrond and says her goodbyes, taking a horse and traveling toward Bree. She stays at the Prancing Pony for a few days, where she makes a few items of food to bring as a peace offering to Bilbo, before loading her horse and continuing toward her final destination. As she arrives at Bag End, she notices how quiet it is and realizes she was the first to arrive.  
Unmounting her horse, she grabs her gifts and approaches the door. Realizing she has no free hand to knock, she uses her ability and waits as she hears Bilbo pattering about from inside the house. He soon opens the door and she smiles at him.  
“Hello. I’m sorry to intrude, but I was wondering if I could come in for a little while? I brought some food to repay you,” she states.  
“Oh, well, of course. Let me help you with that,” stammers Bilbo.  
He takes some of the food from her, motioning for her to follow him. He leads her to his kitchen and they set everything down before sitting across from one another at the dining table.  
“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Fiadh O’Carroll. Like I said, I’m very sorry for intruding. I brought some beef stew, noodles, cookies, and cupcakes to make up for it,” she rambles.  
“My name is Bilbo Baggins. Is there anything I can help you with,” he asks.  
“No, but I believe there may be something that I can help you with,” she responds.  
Suddenly, the doorbell rings and Fiadh knows that Dwalin must have finally shown up. Bilbo goes to the door while she begins ladling stew into a bowl. She can hear a thud that must have been Dwalin dumping his stuff onto the floor and heavy footsteps as he enters the dining room. As Dwalin goes to reach for Bilbo’s fish dinner, Fiadh pulls it away and slides him the bowl of stew. She silently hands the fish to Bilbo and motions for him to eat, turning back to set the cupcakes and cookies onto serving dishes.  
“You’re a fine cook lass. Dwalin, at your service,” compliments Dwalin.  
“Fiadh O’Carroll at yours Master Dwalin. I have some noodles over here as well as some deserts once you’re done with your stew,” she answers.  
“Sounds like you were prepared,” laughs Dwalin.  
The bell rings again and Bilbo looks up in alarm. Fiadh pats him on the shoulder and nudges him in the direction of the door before smiling and turning back to get another bowl of stew for who she assumed would be Balin. Anticipating Dwalin’s grab for the jar of biscuits, she reaches in and throws two over to him, much to his surprise.  
“Oh! Evening brother,” chuckles Balin.  
“Oh, by my beard, you are shorter and wider than last we met,” responds Dwalin.  
“Wider, not shorter. Sharp enough for both of us,” corrects Balin.  
Laughing, they greet each other amicably. Putting their arms on each other’s shoulders, they smash their foreheads together, causing Fiadh to cringe slightly. Bilbo looks on in wonder and confusion as the two dwarves stand in his house.  
“Uh, excuse me; sorry, I hate to interrupt, ah, but the thing is, I’m not entirely sure you’re in the right house,” stammers Bilbo.  
Ignoring Bilbo, Dwalin and Balin go into his pantry, where they pour ale and examine more food. Fiadh chuckles to herself as she continues setting up more food in the dining room, listening as the two dwarves continue to talk to each other as Bilbo continues his speech.  
“It’s not that I don’t like visitors; I-I like visitors as much as the next hobbit, but I do like to know them before they come visiting,” he continues.  
“Sorry again about that,” calls Fiadh quietly.  
“The thing is, um, I, I don’t know either of you, not in the slightest. I don’t mean to be blunt, but I uh, but I had to speak my mind. I’m sorry,” he finishes.  
The two dwarves go quiet, pausing their search and looking over at Bilbo.  
“Hm. Apology accepted. Ah, now fill it up, brother, don’t stint. I could eat again, if you insist,” responds Balin.  
Balin hands a tankard to Dwalin so that it can be filled with ale and the doorbell rings once again. Bilbo bustles past Fiadh to open the door, finding Fili and Kili standing on the other side, and he makes a small noise which sounds like a groan.  
“Fili,” states Fili.  
“And Kili,” continues Kili.  
“At your service,” the chorus, bowing slightly.  
“You must be Mr. Boggins,” says Kili, causing Fiadh to snicker slightly.  
“Nope, you can’t come in, you’ve come to the wrong house,” announces Bilbo, trying to close the door before Kili stops it with his foot.  
“What? Has it been cancelled,” asks Kili.  
“No one told us,” responds Fili.  
“Can- No, nothing’s been cancelled,” stammers Bilbo.  
“Well that’s a relief,” states Kili.  
The two push their way in and begin unloading their stuff onto Bilbo, causing Fiadh to frown. As they instruct him to be careful and begin scraping the mud off their boots on the edge of a chest, Fiadh approaches them.  
“Have some manners, you two are guests here. Now, set your own stuff down and quit using his mother’s glory box as a rug. Honestly, were you two raised in a barn,” she scolds.  
The two stare at her in stunned silence before doing as she said.  
“H-how did you know that was my mother’s glory box,” asks Bilbo.  
“Ah, spoilers. Sorry. I forget sometimes,” answers Fiadh.  
“Spoilers,” murmurs Bilbo in confusion.  
“Fili, Kili, come on, give us a hand,” calls Dwalin.  
The dwarves begin shifting Bilbo’s furniture around to create a larger meeting space while Bilbo runs around after them attempting to stop them. The doorbell then rings very hard and longer than before, alerting Fiadh to the arrival of the larger group. Bilbo, in anger, walks quickly toward the door and Fiadh runs after him.  
“Oh no. No, no! There’s nobody home. Go away, and bother somebody else. There’s far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If-if-if this is some clotterd’s idea of a joke, I can only say, it is in very poor taste,” rants Bilbo.  
Bilbo opens the door and Fiadh pulls him back as a heap of eight dwarves fall in where he had been standing. Struggling to get up, they grumble and yell at each other, yelling for the others to get off. Bilbo looks over at Fiadh in shock before looking back to see Gandalf standing behind the dwarves. The entire group of dwarves get up and begin raiding Bilbo’s pantry and taking out all his food, while Fiadh stands by Gandalf.  
“You know, you could have asked me to help that day in the bookstore instead of sending me here without telling me,” she states.  
“My apologies, my dear. I worried that you wouldn’t believe me had I told you,” he answers.  
“Honestly? I wouldn’t have. But still, falling through a glowing green crack with nothing but my phone, charger- which you better be lucky is solar powered, thank you very much- and shinai wasn’t very pleasant,” she responds.  
“Lord Elrond told me that you spoke with the Valar,” he says.  
“‘Spoke’ isn’t exactly the right word. I was falling through nothing and they spoke to me, giving me the energy from the third fruit of the Two Trees. But yes, that’s essentially what happened,” she corrects.  
Dori then approaches the two with a tray and some tea, leading Fiadh to stop talking and smile at the dwarf.  
“Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf, Ms. O’Connell, can I tempt you with a nice cup of chamomile tea,” he offers.  
“Oh, no thank you, Dori. A little red wine for me, I think,” answers Gandalf before walking out.  
“I’d love some. Thank you very much Dori. And please, call me Fiadh,” states Fiadh.  
He hands her a small cup of tea and smiles at her before leaving as well. She stands there and sips on her tea as she watches the scurrying dwarves and the frustrated hobbit. Seeing them all begin to crowd around the table with their food, Fiadh joins them and sits next to Kili. Bofur throws some food to Bombur, who catches the food in his mouth and the dwarves cheer. As everyone begins throwing food around, Fiadh sees Bilbo walk away in disgust and she feels bad for the poor hobbit. Fili walks on top of the table, carrying several cups of ale and knocking aside the food in his way. He hands Fiadh a cup and winks before giving a cup to Dwalin.  
Dwalin pours his ale into Oin’s hearing trumpet and everyone laughs while Oin splutters in anger. He puts his hearing trumpet to his mouth and blows the ale out, making it squeal. One of the dwarves calls for a countdown and they all begin chugging their ale. They’re incredibly messy, as ale falls all over their faces and runs down their beards. When finished drinking, they begin burping and Ori lets out the biggest. The dwarves laugh and Fiadh scrunches her nose up in slight disdain while Bilbo completely looks away in disgust.  
“You haven’t touched your ale lass,” states Dwalin.  
“I may be able to hold my liquor but not nearly as much as you lot can. I’m a human, and a very small one at that. Besides, I rarely drink,” she laughs.  
“Come on, try it,” goads Kili.  
She rolls her eyes and raises the tankard to her lips, drinking about half of it down in a few gulps before looking at the princes smugly. They seem slightly impressed, looking at one another with approval, while Dwalin laughs loudly. As the dwarves begin wandering around again, she decides to stay back in a corner so as to be out of the way of what she knew was about to happen.  
Just as she thought, she sees Fili take a plate from Ori and throws it to Kili, who throws it behind his back to Bifur, who is standing at the sink in the kitchen. Bifur catches it behind his back, without even looking at it, to which Fiadh lets out a cheer and a whistle. Kili, Fili, and other dwarves begin throwing the plates, bowls, and utensils to each other, eventually throwing them to the sink to be washed. As dishware flies through the air, Gandalf has to duck to avoid getting hit.  
“Excuse me, that’s my mother’s West Farthering crockery, it’s over a hundred years old,” cries Bilbo.  
He runs after the flying dishware and into the kitchen. The dwarves at the table begin rhythmically drumming on the table with utensils and their fists, Fiadh holding her tankard in her hands and tapping her feet to the beat.  
“And can-can you not do that? You’ll blunt them,” scolds Bilbo.  
“Ooh, d’hear that lads? He says we’ll blunt the knives,” laughs Bofur.  
Kili begins singing and the other dwarves join him as they continue throwing the dishware.  
“Blunt the knives, bend the forks  
Smash the bottles and burn the corks  
Chip the glasses and crack the plates  
That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!  
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat  
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat  
Pour the milk on the pantry floor  
Splash the wine on every door  
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl  
Pound them up with a thumping pole  
When you’ve finished, if any are whole  
Send them down the hall to roll  
...  
That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!”  
Bilbo huffs in anger, only to find all the dishes stacked neatly and cleanly. The dwarves, Gandalf and Fiadh laugh at his bewildered expression. Suddenly, there are three loud knocks on the door, and everyone falls silent.  
“Guess who,” whispers Fiadh, gaining a confused look from Balin.  
They all head toward the door and Fiadh stays toward the back of the group, hoping to hide from the intimidating dwarf for a few moments longer. Gandalf goes up and opens the door, and there stands Thorin. He enters Bag End, hanging up his cloak as he walks past.  
“Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. Wouldn’t have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door,” he greets.  
“Mark? There’s no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago,” states Bilbo, pushing his way up to the front of the group.  
“There is a mark; I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield,” introduces Gandalf.  
Thorin looks at Bilbo closely before he begins circling the hobbit in a predatory way. Fiadh shifts to hide herself further behind Bofur, knowing she was going to be subjected to the same treatment in mere moments.  
“So, this is the hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting,” asks Thorin.  
“Pardon me,” stammers Bilbo.  
“Axe or sword? What’s your weapon of choice,” continues Thorin.  
Taking pity on Bilbo, Fiadh steps forward and stands next to Bilbo. Thorin turns to look at her, confusion plain on his face.  
“He would do well with a sword, I assure you,” she states.  
“Thorin, I’d like you to meet Fiadh O’Carroll. I’ve brought her here to assist as an advisor,” introduces Gandalf.  
As she had expected, she hears arguments break out about her joining such a quest. Gloin, Oin, Nori and Dori are the loudest dissenters while Thorin glares icily at Gandalf. Fiadh flinches a bit and crosses her arms over her chest uncomfortably. Bilbo places a hand on her arm and gives her a concerned look, to which she returns with a smile.  
“Enough! We will talk about this at length after we discuss terms,” shouts Gandalf.  
The dwarves grumble amongst themselves as they move toward the table while Fiadh goes into the kitchen. She ladles out the last of the stew she had brought, grabs a few cookies, biscuits and a cupcake, and pours a tankard of ale and brings the items out to Thorin. She keeps her head down as she sets them in front of him and steps back into the kitchen to clean up the remainder of the meal.  
Using her powers, she’s able to clean up a bit faster than she would otherwise, but she keeps an eye out to make sure no one sees her. She continues to listen, keeping up with what part of the conversation they had gotten too. Eventually, hearing Gandalf shout about Bilbo being a burglar, she wipes her hands off and goes back to the other room. She leans against the wall in the doorway and crosses her arms over her chest, silently watching the group in front of her.  
“Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There’s a lot more to him than appearances suggest, and he’s got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself. You must trust me on this,” explains Gandalf.  
“Very well. We will do it your way,” sighs Thorin. “Give him the contract.”  
“It’s just the usual summary of out of pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth,” states Balin as he hands the contract to Bilbo. “I also have a contract for Ms. O’Connell, but I’ll have to reword it a bit in account of thinking you were a male.”  
“Of course. I’ll sign anything you’d like,” she agrees.  
She turns toward Bilbo and finds him reading the contract, getting more frightened as he goes on.  
“Incineration,” he squeaks.  
“Oh, aye, he’ll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye,” states Bofur.  
Fiadh steps forward and places a hand on Bilbo’s shoulder.  
“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine,” she soothes.  
“You alright laddie,” asks Balin.  
Bilbo bends over, seeming nauseous and faint, and Fiadh rubs his back slightly, shooting a look at Bofur.  
“Uh, yeah… feel a bit faint,” murmurs Bilbo.  
“Think furnace with wings,” continues Bofur.  
“Bofur, you’re not helping,” snaps Fiadh.  
“Air, I-I-I need air,” wheezes Bilbo.  
“Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You’re nothing more than a pile of ash,” finishes Bofur.  
Fiadh quickly pulls a chair from the table and pushes Bilbo onto it moments before he passes out. She holds onto his shoulders to keep him from sliding out of his chair and sighs, blowing a few strands of hair out of her face.  
“Bofur, since you were so kind as to terrify poor Bilbo, would you please help me carry him into his study,” she asks.  
After maneuvering the unconscious hobbit into an armchair, Fiadh huffs and goes into the other room with the dwarves. She pulls off her jacket and pulls her hair up into a high ponytail, sweating a bit from the effort of carrying a man nearly as big as her. She hears Kili make a curious noise next to her and looks over to find him staring at her with wide eyes.  
“Have you been in many battles,” he asks.  
“What? Nothing major, just taking down a few orcs who got too close to where I was staying. Why,” she responds.  
“I believe he’s referring to your markings, lass. In our culture, you earn marks like that through battles, like Dwalin,” explains Balin.  
“Oh, in my culture it’s done as a form of self expression, kind of like my piercings or the clothes I wear. Each of mine mean something to me, but others get them just because they find them attractive,” she answers.  
“Let me get this straight; you poke holes in your ears and stab ink into your skin for fun,” asks Fili.  
“Well, when you put it like that it sounds weird, but essentially yes,” she laughs.  
Kili reaches over and gently touches the skin behind her ear where an angel wing can be seen. He carefully avoids her hair, which she appreciates because of how easily it tangles.  
“What do they mean,” he asks.  
“The sword on the back of my neck is a reference to my strength and ability to cut through hardships. The moon phases on my arm remind me that everything lives, dies, and begins again. The wolf on my right wrist represents the connection I have with my family and friends, since howling is a form of communication for wolves. The last three are reminders of my sister,” she explains.  
“You have a sister,” questions Fili.  
Fiadh looks down at the tattoo on her left wrist of a raven carrying a rose, gently running her fingers across it.  
“I did. We were twins,” she murmurs.  
“I’m sorry. Was it orcs,” asks Kili.  
“Kili,” scolds Thorin.  
“No, it’s alright. If I want any of you to trust me, I need to be open and honest with you. It was storming and we were on our way home from celebrating. We had just graduated our second year of college and both of us had made the dean’s list. I lost control of the car and we went over a ledge into a river. My side was barely out of the water, but hers was submerged and she was stuck. She drowned barely five feet away from me and I couldn’t do anything,” she recalls.  
“What’s a car,” wonders Ori.  
Fiadh immediately shoots a look at Gandalf, who uncomfortably looks away.  
“You didn’t tell them,” she snips.  
“I hoped to do so with you present to help fill out your perspective,” answers Gandalf.  
“My perspective? Which part? The part where you kidnapped me? Or maybe the part where you didn’t speak to me for six months when I got here? Or perhaps you’d like the part where the Valar spoke to me without you knowing,” she snaps.  
“You spoke to the Valar,” asks Balin.  
“Control yourself Fiadh,” warns Gandalf.  
Fiadh clenches her fists and turns away from Gandalf, taking deep breaths. She can slowly feel the energy that had been building up begin to dissipate and murmurs a quiet mantra of control to herself.  
“Explain,” growls Thorin.  
“Fiadh isn’t from Middle Earth. She’s from another universe, one where dwarves and elves and hobbits are just stories,” explains Gandalf. “I went to her world to find someone who may be able to help with our journey. When I spoke to Fiadh, I discovered that she knew the stories of Middle Earth and would be the perfect person to bring, so I opened a door to our world for her.”  
“Except he didn’t tell me any of this. I just fell through with no warning and no explanation. When I was falling, I spoke with the Valar who gave me a gift, something with which I can help on your quest,” continues Fiadh.  
“What kind of gift did they give you,” asks Balin.  
Fiadh holds her hand out and lets a ball of green energy build in her palm. She lets a small portion of it flow around her fingers as she flexes them and rolls her hand around. It snakes up her arm a bit before she lets it dissipate.  
“Your eyes. They glowed,” states Ori in awe.  
“What is this magic,” questions Thorin.  
“That’s where it gets interesting. While studying it, we found that I can project energy blasts, streams, waves and bolts of my own psionic and telekinetic energy, which allow me to hit, push, pull, or blow away targets, potentially even disintegrating them by tearing them apart at the molecular level. Basically what’s happening is that it seems like I can manipulate molecular polarity, which allows me to alter reality essentially-” rambles Fiadh.  
“What she’s saying is that she can do things that no one in the history of Middle Earth has been able to do,” interrupts Gandalf.  
“Sorry. I was a bit of a science nerd in my world, so things like this intrigue me,” apologizes Fiadh, looking down in embarrassment.  
“Her abilities will be useful in situations where a standard weapon would be of little use,” explains Gandalf.  
“Basically, I’m a weapon you can wield when situations get dire,” sighs Fiadh.  
“You are not a weapon,” scolds Gandalf.  
“I certainly feel like one,” murmurs Fiadh.  
Hearing Bilbo begin to stir in the other room, Gandalf gives her one last look before going to speak to the hobbit. She hugs her arms around her torso and looks over at Thorin.  
“I give you my word that my priority is to get you and your kin back to Erebor. ALL of you,” she promises.  
As he stares hard at her, she just sighs and walks toward a small couch in the sitting room. She pulls a blanket from her bag and begins to set up what would be her bed for the night. The dwarves eventually join her and smoke their pipes by the fire. As she stares into the fire, absentmindedly rubbing her thumb over the raven tattoo on her wrist, the dwarves begin humming and soon Thorin begins to sing, the others joining him.  
She sees a few of the dwarves watching her, some in apprehension, some in curiosity, and some even with slight sadness in their eyes. Fili and Kili seem to feel bad for her after the story about her sister and how she was taken from her world. Balin surprises her by sitting next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder.  
“What are you thinking about lass,” he asks quietly.  
She takes a deep breath and looks down at her hands, seeing a few sparks of green twirling around her fingers. Her emotions had gotten out of check. She quickly squeezes her hands into fists and watches the energy disappear.  
“Sorry. I’m still learning how to control it completely. It’s only been a few months and no one here has really seen anything like it before,” she murmurs.  
“It frightens you,” he notes.  
“Kind of. It’s more… I don’t know what to make of myself anymore. I used to think of myself one way. I was just a girl that worked at a bookstore and liked reading. Now I’m… something else. I’m still me, I think. But I can feel this power flowing right beneath my skin and I always worry about what could happen if I lose control,” she sighs.  
“Is that an issue that happens often,” asks Kili.  
“No, not since I’ve learned how it’s connected,” she answers.  
“Then you shouldn’t worry about something that may not happen,” states Balin.  
She looks down at her hands again and feels Balin get off of the couch. He rests his hand on her shoulder for a moment before ushering Fili and Kili away, leaving her to rest. Pulling her knees to her chest and curling into a ball, she eventually slips to sleep at the sound of deep voices and snores.


	2. Cultural Differences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saoirse (Seer-sha) - Freedom

When Fiadh wakes up the next morning, she finds that she is the first to rouse and decides to round up what was left of the food from the night before. Plugging a pair of earbuds into her phone and cranking up the volume, she gets to work. She sings quietly as she fries up some bacon, eggs, and pancakes for the group, dancing around as she does so.  
“...Wait by the door, and light a cigarette  
If he wants a fight, well, now he's got one  
And he ain't seen me crazy yet  
He slapped my face, and he shook me like a rag doll  
Don't that sound like a real man?  
I'm going to show him what little girls are made of”  
Spinning around to place the food on the table, she’s surprised to see most of the dwarves either sitting around waiting for the food or milling about. She quickly sets down the food and rips her earbuds out,  
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you come in,” she apologizes.  
A few of the dwarves begin asking questions at once and her eyes widen a bit in surprise. After managing to get them to quiet down, she instructs them to ask one at a time and they seem to vote for Ori to go first.  
“What do you mean you couldn’t hear us,” he asks.  
“Ah, I was listening to music. When I plug this into here, and put these in my ears, it plays music that only people with these things in their ears can hear,” she answers.  
“That song was horrible,” states Gloin.  
“Not your singing, just the song,” continues Fili.  
“No one should treat a woman like that,” agrees Kili.  
“I forgot how different people here treat women,” laughs Fiadh.  
“You mean it’s common where you’re from to treat women like that,” demands Dwalin.  
“It’s not rare. Catcalling, verbal abuse, physical abuse, kidnapping, rape… it’s something every woman is taught about from a very young age in my world. Don’t take an open drink from a stranger, don’t leave your drink unattended, travel in groups, don’t go out at night, if you scream that there’s a fire more people will come to help than if you scream for help, don’t get intoxicated around men, and a lot more,” she explains. “Women also act differently where I’m from. The outfits we wear, how independent we are, societal structure, and so on. It’s common for women to fight along with men in the military, for women to own businesses, for women to be in charge of men, for women to cuss. I’d probably be considered very crass by your standards.”  
The dwarves all begin to grumble about how women shouldn’t be treated like that and that it was horrible that they had to learn all that so young. Fiadh laughs a bit and shakes her head at them.  
“Why are you laughing,” asks Ori.  
“Sorry, it’s just odd to hear you all talking like that. I didn’t think about how bad it was in my world very often since it was just a part of everyday life, but when you point it out and argue against it I’m reminded of how horrible the situation really was,” she responds.  
“Did you-” starts Kili, before shooting a look at Thorin.  
“Did I what,” she prompts.  
“I was just wondering if anyone ever treated you like that,” answers Kili.  
“For sure. Being a woman in the city with her own business definitely made me a target for a fair amount of men. I could handle myself for the most part, but there were a few moments where it got a little too close for comfort,” she states.  
Deciding to change the subject, she explains a few things like her cellphone, cars, cameras, and other small things they might be interested in. Balin has her sign the corrected contract, which she gladly does so. She tells Bifur about sign language and teaches him the alphabet along with a few other signs, to which he thanks her and begins a short conversation using it. She explains to Ori that she had owned a bookstore and she had a couple thousand books just lying around. To Dwalin she tells about the different kinds of martial arts she knows, promising to show him a few moves once they are on the road. She even lets Fili and Kili play around with her phone for a little while.  
Thorin eventually calls for everyone to get ready and Fiadh goes out to get her horse ready for travel. She shushes the horse as she loads her stuff onto him, laughing as he repeatedly nudges her with his head. They all begin to head out and she eventually hears them all placing bets on whether Bilbo was going to show.  
“What about you Fiadh? Do you think he’s going to show or not,” calls Fili.  
“Sorry boys, spoilers. It’s not really a fair bet when I already know the answer,” she laughs.  
As Fili is getting ready to make a retort, hurried footsteps and calls for them to wait come from behind them. Fiadh smiles at Fili smugly before turning to give a welcoming smile and wave toward Bilbo, who had managed to catch up to them.  
“I signed it,” he huffs.  
He hands it to Balin, who inspects it with a pocket glass before smiling down at the hobbit.  
“Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield,” announces Balin.  
Suddenly, a bad feeling washes over Fiadh and she straightens up a bit, looking around to see what could have caused it. She can faintly hear Bilbo saying why he shouldn’t ride a pony, but ignores it as she closes her eyes. Reaching out with her mind, she projects her mental field out as far as it could go. Her brow furrows in concentration and she tunes everything else out, trying to push further. She can’t seem to find anything that would be a threat, so she thinks back to her knowledge of the stories. Was she worried about the trolls? Maybe the wargs? But that couldn’t be it, she knew those would be the least dangerous of their adventure. A hand on her shoulder causes her now glowing green eyes to snap open.  
“What’s wrong,” asks Fili.  
The other dwarves are all staring at her, some with worry and others in frustration.  
“Sorry, something seems wrong. I just can’t put my finger on what it is,” she answers.  
“If you’re having second thoughts, just say so,” states Thorin.  
“I’m arguably the most capable one to go on this journey, so I don’t think that will be a problem,” glares Fiadh.  
Shaking off the feeling, the group begins riding again. As they travel further from the Shire, some of the dwarves continue to ask her questions about her world, Fili and Kili beg to be able to play on her phone again to which she relents, and she continues teaching Bifur sign language. She finds that he’s quite good at picking up the language, easily remembering the different signs and able to sign so rapidly she has to ask him to slow down a couple times. Rain eventually begins pouring down and Fiadh frowns.  
“It’s a little early for rain,” she murmurs.  
Fili and Kili eventually give her phone back to her and she stores it safely in one of her bags. The two dwarves demand her attention and the thoughts of the weather are quickly pushed to the back of her mind. Thorin soon calls for everyone to stop and set up camp, leading everyone to unmount and begin unburdening the ponies. One pony gets spooked by something and takes off, Fili and Kili in pursuit not far behind. The bad feeling Fiadh had earlier comes back even worse and without thinking she takes off after the princes, still holding the pack she had in her hand. She can hear someone call for her as she runs, but she ignores if, too focused on the bad situation she was sure was about to happen.  
She arrives by a river just in time to see the pony get washed away by the raging current, Fili and Kili following only a moment later. Thinking quickly, she uses her abilities to knock a tree down across the river, giving the two something to hold onto. She looks through the pack she was holding and finds a rope, thanking the Valar or whoever was listening that she had brought the pack with her. She ties one end of the rope around her waist and the other around a sturdy tree. The others arrive right as she takes a running start toward the river, using her abilities to give her a boost as she jumps as close to the princes as she can. The sounds of their cries are quickly drowned out by the raging water and she scrambles to breach the surface. Her hands find purchase on the tree she had knocked over and she pulls herself up, gasping in air as she looks around for Fili and Kili.  
“What are you doing,” shouts Kili.  
“Saving you,” she cries, grabbing onto them as she nears. “This rope is tied to a tree at the bank of the river! You two need to pull your way across one at a time!”  
“What about you,” asks Fili.  
“You can pull me back once you’re safe. Trust me,” she instructs.  
They seem reluctant but eventually Kili is holding the rope and making his way back toward the others. Fiadh holds onto her purchase as tightly as possible, struggling against the current and the dwarf pulling on her. Fili holds onto her tightly as he sees her struggling, looking worried. Once Kili is on the bank, she instructs Fili to go and he hesitantly does so. As he nears the bank, Fiadh hears something cracking above her. Looking up, she sees a tree beginning to fall toward her, the river having washed away the ground under it.  
“Shit,” she cries, throwing a hand up and using her ability to attempt to hold the tree up.  
“Fiadh,” yells Kili.  
As she feels her hold on both trees slipping, a harsh tug against the rope pulls her rapidly away as the tree crashes right where she had been. She feels several hands pull her onto the bank and she begins coughing up the small amount of water that had gotten into her lungs. Someone drapes a cloak around her shoulders and she recognizes it as Dwalin’s. Her eyes eventually fall on Gandalf, who seems about as surprised as she was, and she glares at him.  
“What the hell was that? That’s not how it was supposed to go,” she snaps. “We were following the movie. The way everything happened at Bilbo’s was exactly on script. This wasn’t in the movie, it barely even made one line in the book. So which one are we following here?”  
“It seems that things may not be as simple as we thought,” agrees Gandalf.  
“Yes, simple, that’s definitely the word that came to mind when thinking of this quest,” she states sarcastically.  
Without waiting for anyone to begin questioning her, she stands up and stalks off toward the camp. Pulling her wet hair out of the ponytail it had been in, she goes immediately to her pack and pulls out a leatherbound journal. Flipping through the first few pages, she begins reading through the timeline she had been sure to write down when first arriving. She feels someone looking over her shoulder and turns to find Ori looking at the book in confusion.  
“What language is that,” he asks.  
“It’s called Korean. In my world, there were many different languages in different parts of the world. My sister and I visited Korea for about two months every year before going to visit family in Ireland,” she explains.  
“What just happened,” growls Thorin, pulling her attention from Ori and her journal.  
“In my world there were stories about Middle Earth. Some in the forms of books, others in movies or television shows. This story is told about in two different ways, and it seems both are somewhat correct. They’re intertwined, it could follow the book or branch off to follow the movie. I have to make sure to note everything of importance quickly so I can know what could potentially happen,” she rambles, reading through the pages.  
“You have all of this written down where someone could find it and use it against us,” snaps Thorin.  
“That’s exactly why I wrote it in a language that no one in Middle Earth but me can understand,” she states.  
As everyone begins to settle down and begin preparing dinner, Fiadh writes as much as she can think of in her journal. Fili and Kili both sit next to her as they play on her phone, occasionally asking questions about what something is. Bilbo eventually pulls her from her writing to eat dinner and they all gather around the fire to eat.  
She’s in the middle of talking to Bofur about the different types of alcohol in her world when she sees Fili turn bright red while Kili chokes on his food for a moment. Thorin looks at them for a moment and Bofur gives them an odd look before going back to the conversation. Fili and Kili move over to where Balin, Dwalin and Thorin were sitting and begin having a hushed conversation.  
“Are they acting weird or is this normal for them,” questions Bilbo.  
“Oh thank God, I’m not just overanalyzing,” sighs Fiadh.  
“No, they’re acting a bit odd. Maybe they found something on that thing that confused them,” answers Bofur.  
“Considering it’s literally from another universe, I wouldn’t be surprised,” chuckles Fiadh.  
Their speculation is cut off when Thorin storms over to them. Balin seems to try to stop him to no avail.  
“What game are you playing,” growls Thorin.  
Fiadh’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise and she looks up at him with wide eyes. Looking back toward Balin for some clarity, he only gives her a sympathetic look. Everyone had gone quiet, watching the stare off between her and their leader.  
“Could you be a little more specific? I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about,” she responds hesitantly.  
“Don’t lie to me. You gave Fili and Kili this thing to look through, knowing there were inappropriate images on there,” he snaps.  
“Inappropriate? In what sense,” she questions.  
“You weren’t wearing a lot in the picture lass,” interrupts Balin softly.  
“I don’t have any explicit photos, if that’s what you’re saying,” she glares at Thorin.  
He thrusts her phone in her face and she finally sees what they’re talking about. The image was of her and her sister at the beach playing around in the shallows, the last one they had taken together before the accident. Fiadh was wearing a green high waist strappy bikini while Saoirse wore the same thing in maroon. Fiadh looks away from the picture, unable to look at her sister’s happy face staring back at her.  
“Culture difference,” she sighs. “Where I’m from these are called bikinis. You wear them when you swim. Ours are honestly more modest than most would wear. I’m sorry, I hadn’t even thought of the culture shock of seeing those.”  
“Do all women in your world dress so cheaply or is it just you and your sister,” snips Thorin.  
Fiadh stands up, looking him right in the eye and clenching her fists tightly.  
“I don’t care what you may think of me, Thorin Oakenshield, but don’t you ever bring my sister into this. She was brilliant and funny and kind and everything you wish for in a person. She was my other half, we never left each other’s sides, we even went to the same college. So trust me when I say you know absolutely nothing about her,” she growls, absolute vitriol in her voice.  
“You’re sparking,” warns Bilbo quietly.  
Looking down through slightly teary eyes, she can see her hands sparking green. Spinning away from the others, she walks to the edge of the camp and hugs her arms around her torso. She breathes deeply as she attempts to regain control of her emotions but the anger and sadness only whirl around harder in her mind. That picture had been taken the day before the accident, Saoirse had still been wearing the bikini under a coverup on their way home. Fiadh hadn’t looked at that picture since Saoirse’s funeral. A hand on her shoulder startles her slightly and she turns to see Dwalin.  
“Breathe Sparky, you’re holding your breath,” he states.  
Sucking in a deep breath, she feels a few tears slide down her cheeks before composing herself. Clearing her throat slightly, she turns back to the group to see them watching her, most with concern.  
“I apologize for my lapse of control. That picture was the last one taken of the two of us, the day before the accident that killed her. I haven’t looked at it in almost two years,” she explains. “And again, I’m sorry for the confusion. People in my world wear clothes most of you will find extremely immodest, but for us it was normal. If any of you look through my pictures, you’ll see more similar to that. Please keep that in mind for the future.”  
“It’s only been two years since she died,” asks Bilbo in shock.  
“Not quite. It was a little over a year when Gandalf brought me here, so it’s been a little over a year and a half by now. As a matter of fact, we’ll probably be nearing Erebor by the time two years does come about,” she muses.  
Running her finger along her collarbone, she traces a scar that she had received from the accident.   
“Thorin, I know that it’s hard to win your trust. However, perhaps we could talk to one another if another culture difference does arise. I’d rather not argue the entire time we’re together,” she suggests.  
“I agree. I apologize for my words,” states Thorin.  
Smiling slightly, Fiadh nods at him in thanks. She hadn’t been expecting him to apologize, but it made her extremely happy that he did. Maybe there was hope for a friendship after all.  
Everyone begins setting up their beds for the night and Fiadh ends up between Fili and Kili, both of them apologizing repeatedly for causing a scene earlier. After assuring the two that she wasn’t mad at them, they finally begin to get settled. As Dwalin leans against a nearby tree for watch, she can’t help but pick at him a little.  
“So, Sparky, huh,” she asks.  
“Shouldn’t you be going to sleep,” he grumbles.  
Hearing the slight amusement in his voice causes her to laugh. She wishes him a goodnight before rolling onto her side and falling into a fitful sleep.


	3. Trolls and Orcs

Most days pass similar to the first, with Fiadh describing different things from her world while the others listen in curiosity. She becomes closer to Dwalin as the days pass and he slowly begins calling her Sparky rather than her actual name. She even has a few decent conversations with Thorin. Though she becomes closest with Bifur and Bofur, finding the two to be extremely interesting and funny. In fact, she doesn’t even realize how much time has passed until they stop to set up camp one night by an old, abandoned farmhouse and she quickly realizes what part of the story they’re at. As Thorin begins giving out orders, Fiadh unmounts her horse and walks over to him along with Gandalf.  
“I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the Hidden Valley,” states Gandalf.  
“I agree. Whether we make for the Hidden Valley or not, we shouldn’t stay here,” agrees Fiadh.  
“I have told you already, I will not go near that place,” reminds Thorin.  
“Why not? The elves could help us. We could get food, rest, advice,” argues Gandalf.  
“I do not need their advice,” snaps Thorin.  
“We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us,” emplores Gandalf.  
“Help? A dragon attacks Erebor, what help came from the elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the elves looked on and did nothing. You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather and betrayed my father,” rants Thorin.  
“Look, I understand why you wouldn’t want to go there. I truly do. But we truly do need Lord Elrond’s help. You’re not your grandfather or your father Thorin. You’re a different king under vastly different circumstances,” states Fiadh diplomatically. “Dwarves are a very proud race, which is one of the reasons I loved the stories I would read about your people. But wouldn’t you rather be known as the king who cared enough to set aside his pride to get his people back where they belong, or the king who put his pride before his people.”  
Thorin stares hard at her and she resists the urge to fidget. She always found his gaze very unnerving, but has discovered that it is even more intimidating when directed at you.  
“I will think about it tonight while we camp here,” he finally says.  
Gandalf stomps off angrily and Fiadh sighs, running a hand through her hair.  
“We can’t camp here Thorin. If we do, then you’re going to end up sending Fili and Kili to watch the ponies. They lose two because three trolls in the area found them and decided to eat them for dinner. Fili and Kili somehow convince Bilbo to try to rescue them, only for him to get discovered. Everyone gets captured in the scuffle and the trolls attempt to roast some of you over a fire. Luckily Bilbo distracts them long enough for the sunlight to hit them, but the stench of troll is not something I would particularly care to deal with tonight,” she rambles.  
Thorin raises his eyebrows in shock before schooling his expression.  
“Do you know the whereabouts of these trolls,” he asks.  
“Not off the top of my head but I can cast out a net and look for them,” she answers.  
“If there are trolls, then they must have a horde somewhere around here, correct,” he asks, receiving a nod from Fiadh. “I say we send a small party to the horde while you and the others wait for one of us to signal for help should we need it.”  
“God bless it Thorin, why do you have to look the gift horse in the mouth,” she sighs. “Fine, fine, but if I have to smell even one troll I’m going to beat you.”  
Thorin actually lets out a bit of a laugh at that before going to tell the others of the plan. Fiadh stares after him in stunned silence for a moment until she hears him call for her and she scrambles after him. They separate into two different groups with Fiadh on her own between the two to keep an eye out on both of them. She sends a net out around them and quickly identifies where the horde and the trolls are.  
She positions herself in the branches of a tree and focuses on the trolls, finding it difficult to telepathically connect with all three at once. Their heads were all so empty that it was almost like trying to grasp at water, watching it slip through your fingers just as you think you have it. A surge of adrenaline from the group at camp catches her attention and she focuses on them, worried a warg had found them somehow, only to find that it was just the ponies startling. Unfortunately, her lapse in concentration causes her to lose one of the trolls. She frantically searches around for him only to feel the ground begin to tremble and see nearby trees topple over.  
“For fuck’s sake,” she murmurs.  
Clamoring down the tree as quickly as possible, she accidentally misses a branch and falls to the ground. Scrambling to get to her feet with the breath knocked out of her, she sees the troll right as its foot nearly crushes her. It looks down at her and snatches her up, causing her to let out a scream.  
“Bert, William, found somethin’ to add to supper,” shouts Tom.  
She grabs a dagger and stabs him in the hand, leading him to cry out and let go of her. She tries to cushion her landing a bit before tearing off in a random direction. She can hear Tom chase after her, soon joined by William who tries to swipe at Fiadh. As she continues running, she bursts into a clearing only to see Bert standing by a fire and cauldron. She tries to run in another direction only to feel something collide with her and send her flying.  
A scream rips out of her throat moments before she hits a rock, hearing a sickening crack as one or more of her ribs break at the impact. She realizes absently that one of the trolls chasing her had kicked her and her head swims slightly as one of them picks her up. Her body sways like a ragdoll as she barely holds her eyes open, unable to breathe from the tight grip the troll has around her torso.  
“All that for a little girl? Look at her! She’s got no fat on her,” scolds Bert.  
“She was alone and even her blood will help the flavor,” answers William.  
“Are we eating her tonight or not,” asks Tom.  
“Shut your cakehole. You’ll eat what I give ya,” retorts Bert.  
“How come ‘e’s the cook? Everything tastes the same. Everything tastes like chicken,” complains Tom.  
“Except the chicken,” agrees William.  
“That tastes like fish,” states Tom.  
“I’m just saying, a little appreciation would be nice. ‘Thank you very much, Bert,’ ‘Lovely stew, Bert’; how hard is that? Hmm, it just needs a sprinkle of squirrel dung,” muses Bert.  
Tom suddenly cries out and Fiadh can see Kili standing in the clearing with his sword drawn. He demands for Tom to drop her, to which Tom throws Fiadh at Kili. Kili quickly drops his weapon and catches her, falling to the ground as he does so. The rest of the company charges out of the bushes yelling and brandishing their weapons. Kili pushes Fiadh behind some rocks and bushes, telling her to stay put. They all begin fighting the trolls, hacking, slashing, and hammering their legs. Bilbo attempts to make his way toward Fiadh, only to be grabbed by Tom. The dwarves stop fighting when they see the trolls holding Bilbo by the arms and legs.   
“Lay down your arms, or we’ll rip his off,” orders Tom.  
Thorin looks at Bilbo in frustration, then plants his sword in the ground. The others drop their swords and weapons as well and the trolls begin restraining everyone. Dwalin, Bofur, Dori, Ori and Nori are tied onto a spit to roast over the fire while the rest are tied up in sacks nearby. Fiadh begins to slowly and quietly make her way around the clearing to where the others are tied.  
“Don’t bother cooking them. Let’s just sit on them and squash them into jelly,” states William.  
“They should be sauteed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage,” suggests Bert.  
“Is this really necessary,” grouches Dori.  
“Ooh, that does sound quite nice,” responds William.  
The dwarves all begin threatening them and cursing them. Fiadh crouches behind a stone next to the dwarves in the bags and slowly creeps forward. Bilbo begins distracting the trolls as she finally creeps up behind Thorin.  
“Be still. Be quiet,” she hisses in his ear.  
Thorin freezes and seems to tense up a bit. She uses his body to shield herself from the trolls and begins cutting through the ropes and the sack he was tied in. As she does so, she casts out her net to try to reach Gandalf and tell him to hurry up, only to find that he wasn’t anywhere near them.  
“Oh I’m going to kill that damn wizard when I see him again,” she growls.  
Hearing Bilbo claim that the group was riddled with parasites, Fiadh realizes she’s running out of time.  
“Damn. I’m going to slip you my dagger. Get yourself and the others out. I have a plan,” she whispers to Thorin.  
Before he has a chance to argue with her, she grabs another dagger and a can of pepper spray and moves out into the clearing. She throws the dagger and it embeds itself into Bert’s cheek, causing him to scream and alert the others to her appearance. Holding her side as it screams at her, she glares at the trolls and lets her eyes glow green.  
“Pick on somebody your own size,” she growls.  
Moving at the same time, Tom and William lunge at her and she ducks out of the way. She manages to dodge a few more hits but is too slow to miss Bert grabbing her. She growls in pain and glares at the troll as he brings her up to his now bleeding face.  
“How dare you-” starts Bert.  
“You know, I’ve experienced a lot in my life,” she interrupts. “I’ve witnessed my sister die in front of me, my family blame and abandon me, I’ve lost my house, I’ve lost my job, I’ve owned a bookstore, been brought to a different universe by an absolute asshole of a wizard, but do you want to know something I’ve never experienced until this moment? The absolute stupidity of trolls. You honestly have no thoughts going through your mind. And honestly, I’m not going to feel the least bit sorry for what I’m about to do.”  
As Bert stares at her in confusion, she pulls her arm free and sprays him in the eyes with pepper spray. He screams in pain and lets her go, stumbling back and knocking into Tom and William. When Fiadh lands, she looks toward the large rock Gandalf would have split and grasps it with her power. Letting out a yell at the effort, she rips the rock in half, allowing the sunlight to pour into the clearing. When the sunlight touches the trolls’ skin, they begin turning to stone amidst loud screams and howls of pain. Within seconds, there are three stone statues of trolls in the clearing.  
Fiadh sits on the ground and pants from the drain such a spectacle had caused her. The dwarves begin freeing themselves and Fiadh sends a quick pulse at the troll’s fire, putting it out and allowing the others to help the dwarves on the spit. Lying there with her eyes closed, she gathers her energy before she senses Gandalf enter the clearing, looking around in wonder.  
“You’re late,” she states, keeping her eyes closed.  
“I see you had it handled,” responds Gandalf. “Besides, this was perfect practice to increase your stamina.”  
Fiadh sits up and glares lightly at him before smiling in amusement. He walks up to one of the trolls and thumps it with his staff, a pleased smile on his face and Fiadh feels herself swell with a bit of pride. Gandalf and Thorin talk amongst themselves for a moment before announcing that they’re going back to the cave the horde was in since they hadn’t gotten a good look the first time.  
“Oh, what’s that stench,” asks Nori.  
“That would be what I warned Thorin I’d beat him if I had to smell,” jokes Fiadh.  
She sits down on a rock outside the cave and Thorin chuckles slightly at the reminder of their conversation. Fili and Kili glance at one another before grinning widely and Fiadh raises an eyebrow at the mischievous brothers. God only knows what they’re planning when they smile like that.  
“It’s a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch,” announces Gandalf.  
“Bring me back something shiny and maybe I won’t beat you too badly, oh king under the mountain,” jests Fiadh.  
Thorin laughs and rolls his eyes at her, heading into the cave. She lays her head back and listens to the sounds around her. Taking in a deep breath, she releases her net as she exhales. The sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing amplifies until she feels the whirring mind of Radagast as he draws near. She sends out a wave of calm to help ease the man’s mind before pulling back. The dwarves had all exited the cave and Bilbo now had his own sword. As Radagast gets close, the dwarves can hear the twigs snapping and leaves rustling.  
“Something’s coming,” calls Thorin.  
“It’s a friend, stand down,” announces Fiadh.  
While the dwarves seem hesitant, they do as she says and watch the treeline. Radagast rides at full speed through the forest on his sled drawn by rabbits. He pulls up right next to Fiadh’s spot while yelling.  
“Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here,” asks Gandalf.  
Fiadh slides from her perch onto the ground next to the rabbits, who begin sniffing at her curiously. They nuzzle against her, knocking her off balance and she falls against the side of another rabbit. She laughs as she scratches behind their ears and lets an orb roll around to amuse the others.  
“You are incorrigible,” chuckles Thorin.  
“My mother always said to take happiness where you can get it,” she chuckles.   
Feeling something rapidly approaching, she jumps to her feet and grabs her sword. Calling out a warning to the company, a warg appears from behind a nearby crag. It leaps into the midst of the company, knocking down one of the dwarves, and Thorin quickly kills it using Orcrist. Another warg attacks from the other side and Kili shoots it with an arrow, bringing it down. However, it gets back up, only to be killed by Dwalin.  
“Warg scouts, which means an orc pack is not far behind,” states Thorin.  
“Orc pack,” squeaks Bilbo.  
“Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin,” demands Gandalf.  
“No one,” answers Thorin.  
“Who did you tell,” snaps Gandalf.  
“He didn’t tell anyone. We’re being hunted,” says Fiadh.  
“We have to get out of here,” orders Dwalin.  
“The ponies bolted when they heard the warg,” announces Ori.  
“I’ll draw them off,” offers Radagast.  
“These are Gundabad wargs. They will outrun you,” states Gandalf.  
“Those are Rhosgobel rabbits. They can try,” says Fiadh.  
She smiles at Radagast sheepishly.  
“Sorry, I’ve always loved that line,” she chuckles.  
As Radagast takes off to distract the orcs, the company rushes through the forest and across a rocky plain. In the distance, Radagast is being chased by the orcs. As the company runs across the plain, they see the wargs not too far from them, so they hide behind the rocks.  
“Stay together,” orders Gandalf.  
Fiadh checks on Radagast and sees him drive his sled beneath an overhanging rock. He ducks, but the orc on the warg behind him gets knocked off. As the chase continues, Thorin stops behind a rock so that he isn’t seen by the wargs. Ori doesn’t notice in time and starts to run out of the cover, only to be pulled back by Thorin.  
“Ori, no! Come back,” hisses Thorin.  
“Come on! Quick,” orders Gandalf.  
“Where are you leading us,” questions Thorin.  
Gandalf just continues running, refusing to answer. As the warg scouts chase Radagast, one of them stops and scents the air. Fiadh stops the company upon feeling this and they take cover behind an outcropping of rock. The scout and his warg appear on top of the outcropping, scenting the air again. Thorin looks at Kili and nods. Readying an arrow, Kili quickly steps out and shoots the warg. The warg and orc fall near the dwarves and the dwarves kill them. The sounds of their fight carry and the other wargs and orcs stop chasing Radagast as they hear the roars and screams from behind the rocks.  
The company takes off through the grassy plain as wargs begin to surround them from all sides. Yells come from every direction as they begin shooting at the orcs. Gandalf soon sees a large rock and runs toward it, disappearing.  
“Where is Gandalf,” shouts Kili.  
“He has abandoned us,” states Dwalin.  
The dwarves gather close to each other near the rock Gandalf disappeared by. Sensing Gandalf approaching again, Fiadh uses her ability to shield the company within a small dome. The orcs begin throwing themselves and their wargs against the shield and the force causes Fiadh to kneel on the ground, struggling to keep the shield up.  
“This way, you fools,” calls Gandalf.  
“Come on, move! Quickly, all of you! Go, go, go,” orders Thorin.  
Fiadh slowly backs toward the rock as the dwarves go through the crack after Gandalf. So focused on keeping up the shield, Fiadh doesn’t even notice that the last of the dwarves are sliding into the cavern to safety. Thorin grabs her by the arm and pulls her in with him as a group of elves rush in. The company listens to the conflict from inside the crack until one of the orcs falls into the cave. Thorin plucks out the arrow embedded in the orc and examines it.  
“Elves,” he announces.  
“I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or no,” calls Dwalin.  
“We’re following it,” answers Fiadh.  
The company begins following the path and finds that it is quite narrow since it is a crack between two tall cliffs. At times, the dwarves have difficulty going through. Fiadh, having gone through it multiple times while she had been in Rivendell, easily maneuvers through the tight spaces even with her injured ribs. The pathway eventually opens out into an open area, showing the valley and city below.  
“The Valley of Imladris. In the common tongue, it’s known by another name,” announces Gandalf.  
“Rivendell,” breathes Bilbo.


End file.
